American Media Pokes Fun at Raptors Again: Shoegate

[Hotshot]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/bal...urn=nba-276341

A strange story out of Toronto, where it seems that Raptor waterbugs Leandro Barbosa(notes) and Sonny Weems(notes) are having a devil of a time following through on one of an NBA player's most important professional commitments. That's right, they're finding it tough to follow through on a stated desire to endorse and wear adidas-brand sneakers.

According to Raptors equipment manager Kevin DiPietro, adidas "is having a little bit of a crisis right now," which is odd, and to hear DiPietro tell it this shortage is "for the first time ever." And as a result, Barbosa is having to wear adidas high tops in several colors which in no way mesh with Toronto's red, white and black color scheme, and Weems is having to wear -- shock horror -- Nikes

BDL has dealt with adidas in the past, and they're usually pretty forthcoming, so perhaps some wires were crossed along the way.

Why is this a story to begin with?! its again a cheap shot at Toronto/Canada that they can't get a simple act together. Its small things like this that are constantly mentioned in the media which American Born players read and ignorantly think that Toronto is a backwards behind the times city.

[freeze]

Don't sweat my friend, even the local media reported this story. And the American media you talk about is the yahoo basketball blog. Those guys poke fun at all things basketball.

[Bendit]

Tempest in a teapot I think. The story was using a STar (Feschuk) piece to piggyback on. The only swipe I thought I read was the contextual "up there" for TO/Canada's geog. location. I have seen that sometimes snarky ref. to "foreign" before. The shoes/players thing happens all the time and as usual the star treatment is alive and well! Rose will get his shoes on time and in qty. while second tier ballers shall have to wait. Baseball players go thru this with their bats frequently. I betcha Bautista shall get his bates on time next season until he stops hitting them out.

[EverythingBlaxx]

It's an offday and there's not much to write about. I fail to see how there is any kind of cheap shot taken at Toronto, Canada or the Raptors. Your inferiority complex is legendary tho

[Tim W.]

How on earth is this a shot at Toronto? Methinks you're WAAAAAAAAAAY too sensitive. If anything, it's a shot at Adidas, who seem to be unable to get it's players the right coloured shoes. There is absolutely nothing in that that paints Toronto in a bad light. I find it amazing you would look for it.

[Hassan]

dumb Americans

[Quest]

I wouldn't read into this one too much, esp. after all the actual problems that we've had getting represented right with not only the american media, but our own mlse, crtc and roger's and bell for that matter. We get coverage like an off-market club, which we're not, but we win like one and we're based in another country so... big F'n surprise! Haven't you noticed that the news is silly anyways and is often negative because it is often poorly written by a desperate and inexperienced, one-sided thinker who has to meet a dealine?

[Captain Haddock]

BDL is run by Kelly Dwyer, friend of the Basketball Jones. BDL was edited by JE Skeets, Torontonian and co-founder of said Jones. BDL's former editor, Trey Kerby, has joined the Jones. These guys have nothing against Canada, and this is hardly Canada bashing. An NBA team whose players don't have shoes on a Basketball blog that admits it's about the sillier side of basketball? Why would they not bring this up.

Lighten up, guys.

[Tim W.]

BDL is run by Kelly Dwyer, friend of the Basketball Jones. BDL was edited by JE Skeets, Torontonian and co-founder of said Jones. BDL's former editor, Trey Kerby, has joined the Jones.

Is it possible to write all the connections on a white board Glen Beck-style, and show where the connection to Al Qaeda or communism is, please?

[Krix]

Is it possible to write all the connections on a white board Glen Beck-style, and show where the connection to Al Qaeda or communism is, please?

Simple, Barack Obama.

[Captain Haddock]

Simple, Barack Obama.

You're all uninvited from my rally.

[Tim W.]

You're all uninvited from my rally.

Which rally? The rally to restore sanity or the march to keep fear alive.

And when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, and then throw it in the face of the person who gave you the lemons until they give you the oranges you originally asked for?

[Beaverboi]

And when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, and then throw it in the face of the person who gave you the lemons until they give you the oranges you originally asked for?

Classic. I love it.

[matt]

simple, barack obama.

omg!!! lol the first time I watched Glenn beck I thought his show was a news satire program.

[Tim W.]

omg!!! lol the first time I watched Glenn beck I thought his show was a news satire program.

It is, isn't it?